


My Little Mermaid

by Lanceeselhombre



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Blind Character, Blind Keith, Cuddling & Snuggling, First Meetings, Gen, Handler Lance, Lazy back floats, Merquarium Au, Shark bite wounds, merman Keith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-11
Updated: 2017-08-16
Packaged: 2018-12-14 01:12:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11772363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lanceeselhombre/pseuds/Lanceeselhombre
Summary: Lance just got a new job as a mermaid handler at the Voltron aquarium. His first charge is a shark attack victim who's half blind. Some moments between Lance and his mermaid Keith.//Im not writing this anymore, but i will add prompted chapters.





	1. First Day on the Job

“So what's his name?” Lance asked as he and his new boss walked through the halls of the Voltron aquarium. The aquarium itself was huge- this was the biggest aquarium in California- with tons of decorations and open enclosures and interactive displays. This aquarium was also one of few that rescued injured mermaids and rehabilitated them. The disabilitated ones that couldn't be returned to the water stayed and became a part of the attractions. Not many places were doing that yet. It was a fairly new practice.

However, the halls that Lance and his boss were walking through were narrow and blank. That was because they were in the back where customers didn't go. The back was where they kept the supplies they used to care for the marine life and where they kept the animals that were too sick to be seen by the public. It was also where they kept the rescued mermaids.

When Lance heard that there were job openings for mermaid handlers at Voltron he immediately signed up. After a few months he scored a job as a handler, and best of all he got a brand new mermaid; he was going to get his own to bond with and train instead of being given a mermaid that was already trained and was comfortable with other staff already. There was something about being the first to gain the trust of such a magnificent animal that made him excited.

“His name is Keith.” Lance’s boss said. “He’s an adolescent mermaid, but he’s almost an adult. He has two shark bites: one on his upper left arm and the other on his right flank and tail.” He explained the mermaid’s condition to his new handler so he would know when he saw him. Surprise was not a good first impression on a wounded mermaid. “He arrived here last night. Katie’s been looking after him while he sleeps.”

Lance smiled wide. Katie- or Pidge as she preferred to be called- was the person that told him they needed handlers. She was part of his best friend group. He was excited to be working with her. “Is he awake?” He asked, knowing that all new mermaids were sedated when they were first brought in. It kept them calm during their first interactions with the staff and kept them from injuring themselves in panic during treatments.

“I'm not sure, I haven't seen him for myself yet.” His boss admitted as they reached the critical care unit. This was where they kept severely wounded mermaids. “He’s enclosure seven.” He said. “Any more questions before I go back to my office?”

Lance shook his head. “No. Thank you.” He said as he turned to his boss and offered his hand. “When do you want the first report in?” As a part of the job, handlers had to write reports about their charge’s condition. They were usually weekly, but that was once the mermaid was settled in, had a permanent enclosure (or the enclosure they would stay in until they could be released) and were stable.

The boss smiled and shook his hand. “By Friday. If you need help Katie will be happy to assist you.” He said as he pulled back and turned to leave. He walked back the way he and Lance came, soon disappearing around a turn.

Lance turned back to face the room. It was a little darker in here compared to the other parts of the aquarium to simulate early morning. It was fairly quiet since it was still morning. All the handlers just got there, and most of the mermaids were still sleeping. This room didn't offer much privacy because of the needs of every patient in this room, but the tanks were spaced out decently. There just weren't separate rooms, everything was once space. Above each enclosure was a number so they could keep track of each one. Seven was second to last on the right side.

Lance walked over to that enclosure, greeting his coworkers as he went. When he got to the front of the enclosure Pidge was sitting down and looking into the water. Lance didn't follow her gaze yet, he didn't want to spoil the surprise. “Hey Pidgeon!” He greeted, gently nudging her thigh with his foot. “How's he doing? Awake?” He asked.

Pidge looked up at him and smirked as she stood. She gave him a hug and said, “Morning Lance. He’s kind of waking up. He’s out of the sedation and in a weird half sleep right now.” She sat down again after she pulled away from the hug and went back to looking into the water. “He’s cute.” She added.

Lance sat down next to her and finally looked into the water. The mermaid he was in charge of was curled up on the bottom of the shallow tank, his scarlet tail covering his face. He could see hair though, lots of thick back hair. His skin was light with a slight tan, painted dark purple in some places as a result of the shark bites. Lance cringed; he looked like he was in a lot of pain even though his position looked relaxed and peaceful. He was cute though, Pidge was right.

“He is cute.” He agreed verbally. He began pulling his clothes off, first his shirt and then his shoes and pants, leaving him in his swim trunks. Handlers had to wear swimsuits as part of their dress code; their job was very water based, they had to be able to get wet. He gently eased himself into the water so he wouldn't scare the lightly sleeping mermaid and waded towards him. The water was cold like the ocean and had salt in it to feel like the ocean. The water came up to his hips; the water was low to make caring for the mermaids easier. They also wouldn't be swimming around if they were in this section so they didn't need much space.

He sat down next to the mermaid’s head, the water rising to his neck. He took in a deep breath and breathed out slowly, preparing himself. He was about to meet his mermaid. His extremely hurt, probably traumatized, and absolutely adorable mermaid. He watched his side rise and fall gently with his breathing for a moment, taking the time to enjoy how calm he was. After that he finally gained the courage to lift his hand and gently pet the mermaid’s head.

The response was instantaneous: he jumped at the gentle touch, groaning and whimpering as his stitches stretched because of the sudden movement. His voice was medium, not high and not low. He laid down again and tried to get comfortable with his probably throbbing injuries, unable to really get comfortable.

Lance shushed him and gently pet his head again. “Hey Keith.” He greeted softly, knowing he wouldn't be understood. He was smiling like an idiot even though he was clearly in pain, he was just so happy and excited to be meeting him.

The mermaid perked at his name and turned to look at the human sitting next to him. His eyes were deep violet with shards of lavender in them. They were so beautiful and young and glowed softly like all mermaids’ eyes did, but they were also scared and pained. He was in a new place with new people with huge and extremely painful wounds. He was bound to be more than a little scared.

The smile on Lance’s face widened when Keith looked at him. “Hey buddy.” He cooed, continuing to softly pet his head in a calming manner. Most of his needs had been taken care of while he was unconscious, so he didn't have to worry about much more than keeping him calm and trying to keep his pain levels down.

“Pidge, could you get me some medicine for him? But as a shot? I don't think he wants to eat anything.” Lance asked kindly as he looked up at Pidge. He felt bad having to stick him with a needle, but it would get pain medicine in him. Pidge nodded and stood to go get what he asked for. She left the room for the med bay, leaving him alone with Keith.

The mermaid wasn't pulling away from his touch, but he wasn't comforted by it either. He curled further into his tail, using part of it as a headrest, trying to draw comfort from the small cocoon he’d created instead. He whimpered occasionally in pain and fidgeted uncomfortably, still trying to find a way to lay that didn't hurt.

Pidge came back with the shot of pain medicine a few minutes later. She held it behind her back with a cap on the needle in case Keith had seen a needle before he was sedated; she didn't want the mermaid to panic because he thought they were going to put him to sleep again. She handed it to Lance quickly on Keith’s blind side and Lance took it with a thank you. He uncapped the syringe and looked for a good place on his arm to stick.

He decided to give Keith the shot in his shoulder. He gently pinched the skin and muscle there while he positioned the needle, not wanting a hard pinch to spook the mermaid into pulling away. The mermaid stayed put, so Lance quickly pinched his skin harder and stuck him with the needle and quickly pressed the medicine in.

The resulting cry was ear piercing. Keith shrieked in surprised pain and fear as he was stuck with the needle, not distracted at all by the pinch. He pulled away- after the needle was out thankfully- and hid under his tail, shaking and squeaking.

Lance gave Pidge the empty needle and tried to calm Keith down, quickly looking around to make sure no one was really disturbed- no one was. “It was just medicine Keith.” He assured the mermaid, softly running his hand along his scaled tail since he couldn't reach his head. “I'm sorry for scaring you.”

Keith didn't come out of hiding. He stopped shaking after a couple of minutes, but he stayed under his tail where Lance couldn't touch the softer and more vulnerable parts of him. That was typical of a wounded or scared mermaid, so Lance wasn't hurt.

Lance let Keith be while he waited for the pain medicine to start working. When it did he would be more relaxed and more sociable. Lance could tell exactly when it started working, because Keith did just that; the mermaid’s tail loosened its tight coil and he closed his eyes, enjoying the blank calm of being pain free after being in agony.

After he was given a few minutes to relax Lance tried petting him again; he could reach his head now that his tail was relaxed. He wanted Keith to grow somewhat used to the attention and accept his company before the end of the day. His first day in the aquarium would be his most impressionable day, and he wanted Keith to sleep at night having a good impression of him. He wanted to be remembered as kind and loving.

Keith was okay with the attention and laid still. His eyes remained closed in painless bliss, making him almost look asleep with his relaxed body language. He might have fallen asleep like that too, if it weren't for the deep rumble that came from his belly.

Lance chuckled a little. “Pidge, can you get me some fish?” He asked as she stood up, already going to get what he asked for. She heard Keith's stomach too apparently.

“Sardines?” She asked, waiting for an answer before she went to get the food. Sick mermaid's were given small fish or cut up stuff that was easy to eat and was easy on their stomachs. Smaller pieces were also used to hand feed mermaids, which was a part of the extensive training handlers did at the aquarium.

Lance nodded. “Please.” He said as she walked away to get the fish. She returned quickly with a small pail of sardines and handed it to Lance. He thanked her and set it down between his legs. He took one of the fish and held it where Keith could see it.

“Want some food?” He asked, waiting for the mermaid to open his eyes and take a good look at it before he would offer it to him to eat. Keith opened his eyes when he smelled fish and saw the sardine. He pushed himself up on his elbow and went to bite it and take it from Lance’s hand.

But he missed. He made a confused noise and tried to find the fish again, finding it extremely difficult because he was mostly blind. Lance helped him by moving the fish to where he could see it again and held still so he could try and take it again.

When Keith missed again he growled in confused distress and felt for the fish with his hand instead. He found it much faster with his fingers and took it from Lance, eagerly popping it into his mouth and swallowing without chewing. He didn't have to teeth to chew anyway. He looked up at Lance, searching for more fish.

Lance smiled wide at his eagerness and grabbed another fish. “Someone’s hungry.” He commented as Keith took the sardine and popped that one in his mouth too, swallowing immediately after. He gave him more as he ate, going slow so he couldn't gag himself by eating too fast.

Keith ate all the fish in the pail and laid down contently when he figured out there was no more. He had a lazy smile on his face and his eyes were closed again as he laid there, less curled up in his tail. He was content and happy, he was no longer in pain and he was just fed. He was feeling much better.

Lance put the pail on the side of the small enclosure when it was empty and smiled down at Keith. He gently pet his head again, getting a much better response this time. Keith tilted his head back a little and turned his head to the side, exposing the soft part of his throat. Lance’s brightened at the display of trust and gently ran his fingers over the underside of his chin and his throat. Keith relaxed like that, letting Lance gently stroke his throat. When Lance stopped he tucked his head down into a comfortable sleeping position. He fell asleep soon after that, cuddled up to his tail comfortably instead of in fear.

Lance still had a goofy smile on his face as he slowly got up and left the tank. “I love him.” He said as he sat down next to Pidge. He may not have done much with the mermaid yet, but he was sure he loved him. He loved his job even more knowing he had Keith as his charge.

Pidge smirked. “I had a feeling you'd like him.” 


	2. Blind Mermaids are Clingy Mermaids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith isn't moving around like he should. Lance tries to fix that.

The next day Keith was moved to a permanent enclosure where he would stay until we was trained. His new enclosure was a decent size and was filled with cool mermaid things: there was a soft bed and colorful stones and other decorations and toys- the toys he had were rigged with noisy bells so he could hear them. Near the surface of the water there was a five foot wide and seven foot long platform that was used to check on the mermaid’s condition. Or it was just a place for the mermaid and handler to hang out.

Lance had never met a blind or partially blind mermaid before, but he knew that they were wall huggers. They preferred staying close to sturdy and grounded objects so they knew where they were. Floating and swimming around in open water made them anxious. But mermaids were also restless creatures by nature and loved playing and swimming, so they did swim around occasionally, even if they bumped into stuff.

But not Keith. It only took him lightly bumping his elbow on the side of the tank to turn him off of the idea of swimming completely. He chose to cling to the platform in his enclosure afterwards, his tail swaying in the water below him while he held onto the side of the metal, resting his chest and cheek on its flat top. He never really moved unless it was for food or check ups.

Lance let him stay for a few hours undisturbed, hoping he would leave the platform on his own. He never did. That's when Lance stepped in to try and get the mermaid to exercise a little, or even just do something other than lay around. He understood it was comforting to feel the cold metal, but he would get sick if he didn't move.

Lance slipped into the enclosure with Keith and held onto the platform with one hand. He gently splashed the water with his other hand, letting Keith know where he was. He learned he had to give away his position before he touched the mermaid after he accidentally approached him on his blind side in the new tank; Keith panicked and slapped him with his tail. Now he had a thick bruise on his lower back. Lesson learned.

One of the mermaid’s pointed ears flicked in response to the sound and he opened his eyes. He turned his head to look up at Lance and squinted a little. Once he realized it was his handler he chirped in greeting and nuzzled back into the platform.

Lance smiled and pet his head once. “Let's go for a swim okay Keith?” He said as he gently pulled the mermaid’s hands off of the platform and put them on his shoulders. He held him by his ribs- being careful to not touch his gills- and guided him away from the metal jutting out into the water. He wanted Keith to at least move his tail while he guided him around. That way he wouldn't bump into anything, but he’d be swimming.

Instead of doing that Keith immediately pulled himself up and hugged Lance around his neck, forcing the handler into a weird back float so Keith’s gills were under the water, but he still had his head above that water. Lance laughed a little and patted the mermaid’s back, hoping he wouldn't squeeze him hard enough to choke him. He wouldn't do it purposefully, but he would accidentally. Lance carefully kicked out to propeller them backwards, keeping one arm out to prevent him from running into the walls.

Keith’s tail swayed softly behind him in response to the moving water, but he didn't put any effort into it. He eyed the walls warily as he was pulled along even though he probably couldn't see them. Lance could feel the mermaid’s heart hammering in his chest from his fear of slamming into something. He didn't know that Lance wasn't going to let him get hurt. All he knew was he wasn't holding onto his platform anymore and he was in open water.

Lance pet his head softly as he swam around. “We’re not gonna bump into anything.” He promised. He was going slow and avoiding things jutting out of the walls- like the platform and toys that floated to the surface.

He kept swimming backwards in hopes that Keith would work up the courage to swim too. Despite his hopes the mermaid didn't seem to want to swim. He laid on Lance’s chest the whole time, clinging to him and watching the walls he couldn't see. He did calm down though; his heart stopped pounding and he stopped holding onto his handler as hard. He was probably just being lazy at this point and letting Lance pull him along for a ride.

When the mermaid started falling asleep Lance stopped swimming around. He righted himself and held Keith to his chest as he waded over to where his hammock was. He patted the mermaid’s back when they were above the hammock to try and wake him up a little. “Come on Keith, go lay down.” He encouraged as he pulled away. There was no point in trying to continue with a sleepy mermaid. He could try again later.

Keith lifted his head and opened his eyes when Lance pulled away. He tried to follow him and cling to him again, but Lance didn't let him. “Your hammock is right here.” He said as he gently tapped the mermaid’s cheek and pointed to the hammock. He was being helpful this time and showing him where it was, but eventually the mermaid had to learn to find his things on his own.

Keith looked down to where he was pointing and saw the brightly colored hammock hanging from the wall. He reached out hesitantly and felt for the wall before he let go of Lance. He swam down to the hammock and wiggled his way inside the fabric with a small and content sigh. He curled up and tucked his head between his tail and the edge of the hammock, not hiding in his tail like before. He closed his eyes and relaxed and started drifting off.

Lance stayed in the water until he was asleep in case something spooked him and he wanted to go back to his platform. “Have a nice nap.” He whispered when he was sure Keith was asleep, turning around to swim to the edge and pull himself out of the enclosure. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.


	3. Play Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance finally gets Keith to do something other than hug his platform.

Unfortunately, Lance could never really get Keith to swim around much. He refused to leave his platform or his hammock if Lance wasn't in the enclosure to guide him around, and he only sometimes put effort into their floating sessions. As a result of his lack of activity, he got restless and would be constantly swishing his tail like he wanted to swim around and blow off some energy. But he never did, he was scared of swimming alone.

But Lance found another way to get him to exercise. Kind of.

Keith had a lot of toys in his enclosure that he normally didn't touch. Even though they had bells so he could find them easily, he forgot they were there most of the time since they were silent unless someone was actively playing with them. But if Lance made them jingle? Then he loved them. His favorite was a thick and heavy rubber ball with a loud bell in the middle. If Lance gave it to him and shook it Keith lit up and snatched the toy, content to shake it himself and bite the hard rubber for hours if Lance left him alone.

However, Lance took advantage of his interest in the toy to get him to exercise. After Keith ate in the morning- which was usually when he got the most restless- Lance slid onto the underwater platform in the enclosure with Keith’s favorite ball. Keith was holding onto the side of the platform like usual, boredly clinking his claws against the cold metal. Lance smiled and gently splashed the water so he knew he was there. Immediately after he shook the ball, the bell inside it jingling noisily.

Keith lifted his head and looked dead at the ball- but he couldn't see it, Lance had learned he couldn't see farther than a few inches in front of his face- and gaped, mesmerized by the sound. He froze, head held high and his ears twitching for the sound of the bell. Lance smirked and tapped the ball with one finger, eliciting a tiny sound that wasn't quite a jingle, but it caused Keith to jump forward in an almost-lunge for the toy. The handler couldn't help but do the same thing a few more times, watching the look of playful amazement on the mermaid’s face as he twitched forward.

Lance finally shook the ball, holding it in one hand a few inches off to Keith’s left for him to grab. Keith found the ball easily even though it was on his blind side and pounced on it, falling to the water in a belly flop the splashed Lance. He resurfaced with the ball clamped between his claws, gnawing on as much of the hard rubber as he could at once.

Lance let him have it for a few seconds before he reached out and gripped a free part of the ball, firmly tugging on the toy like he was trying to take it back. He figured out that pulling on the toy made Keith feel like a fish was trying to escape his grasp. It turned on his hunting instincts, whether he was a mostly blind mermaid or not.

Keith let go of the ball in surprise, having not expected the toy to suddenly try to get away. It only took a second for his mind to reboot and for him to pounce on it again, all teeth and claws as he tried to get it back. He pulled away from Lance’s grip on the ball and tried to swim away, temporarily forgetting his fear of the water. A playful growl slipped past his lips, low and rumbling in his throat.

“Get it Keith!” Lance chirped in encouragement, tightening his hold on the toy so Keith couldn't rip it away from him. He swished the ball around, causing Keith to be pulled along with it. He tugged harder at random intervals to keep the mermaid interested but never did so hard enough to hurt him.

Keith pulled at the ball harder, loud growls constantly pouring from his mouth. He was smiling too, so Lance could tell he was happy and not mad even if he couldn't differentiate between a playful and angry growl- both sounded kind of intimidating and threatening, many people mistook playful for aggressive. The mermaid tried to swim away with the toy, yanking and pulling and trying to use the platform as leverage to push away from Lance. He wouldn't quite get away though, Lance was too strong for him.

With one last pull Keith managed to get away from the platform with the ball, but Lance was still holding on when he did. As a result the handler flopped into the water with a gasp, barely getting air into his lungs and holding his breath as he fell under the water and crashed into Keith. His immediately let go of the ball and pushed Keith’s face to the side, covering his mouth with his hand- if Keith went for the toy again while they were tangled like this he might accidentally bite or claw him, he knew to stop if Lance ‘muzzled’ him.

Keith dropped the ball when Lance fell into him and stopped mid-reach for the toy when Lance pushed his face to the side. He relaxed obediently while Lance swam back to the surface and breathed. He took a few deep breaths before he dove to the bottom of the tank and found Keith’s ball and then brought it back to the platform. He sat down and shook the ball in invitation for Keith to come back again and play.

Keith perked at the sound and carefully swam over to Lance, holding his hands out in front of him so he didn't crash into the platform. When he felt the metal against his hands he held onto it and rested his cheek on the cold surface.

Lance clicked his tongue at the mermaid and put his ball on the walkway next to his tank to free his hands. He then pulled the mermaid all the way onto the platform by his ribs and laid him down on his back. “If you're gonna be here lay down right ya goof.” He teased as he grabbed the ball from where he put it down and shook it in front of Keith’s chest. He’d been trying to break Keith’s habit of clinging to the side of the platform by laying him down on top of it. It was better for him to lay down then hang on like he did. He wondered how Keith didn't get uncomfortable holding onto the edge with his tail hanging off.

Keith didn't object to being laid down and took the ball back. He held it to the hollow of his throat and played with the rubber with his claws. He sometimes hit it with his palm or shook it to make it jingle, but he wasn't very interested in it anymore after his short play session with Lance. His handler managed to tire him out so now he was calm and relaxed instead of restless.

Lance smiled at him and watched him play with the ball. He patted the mermaid’s belly softly before he got out of the enclosure and sat down in a chair a few feet away. Until Keith started training Lance wouldn't have much to do other than play with him and feed him. Well, he could always write his report. Ug. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.


	4. Check Ups Aren't Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: I would like to see Keith's reaction to his checkups and Lance helping him out.

Lance’s least favorite part about learning to care for mermaids was medical exams. It wasn't his job to do them as a handler- thank god, he just kept his mermaid calm- but he still didn't like them. It was mainly because mermaids did not like being touched by strangers and would lash out at the doctor, some more than others. To offset the violence without putting mermaids under during every check up, the doctor usually gave them tranquilizers to calm them down.

But because Keith was new, the staff wanted to see how he reacted without a sedative during his first checkup, like they always did with new mermaids. If he happened to be calm, they wouldn't need to sedate him in the future. It wasn't a common response, but it was possible.

So a week after Keith first got to the aquarium, the doctor came to his enclosure to see how his shark bites were doing. The doctor on call happened to be Pidge that day. She came over to the tank and sat down on the edge next to Lance, who was watching Keith sleep while he waited for her. It was still early morning, so Keith hadn't woken up yet and was happily curled up in his hammock. He didn't know he was going to get prodded.

Pidge looked over to the sleeping mermaid and smiled. “Is he doing good? Has he tried ripping the stitches out?” She asked, although she was pretty sure of the answer already. If Keith attempted to pull out his stitches she would be told right away, so he probably hadn't. But she still had to ask.

Lance shook his head. “He leaves them alone. If they start hurting he gets whiny, but he doesn't pull.” He replied. “Want me to get him for you?” He asked as he looked over at his friend, who nodded.

The handler slipped all the way into the water and swam over to his mermaid’s hammock. He gently grabbed one end of it and swayed it back and forth, trying to wake him up that way. “Keith, time to wake up.” He called, waiting to see the mermaid open his eyes before he would stop swinging the hammock.

Keith opened his eyes after a moment and looked up at where he thought Lance was, which was a few feet off to his right. He let out a tired chirp and curled up further, not wanting to wake up yet. He always wanted to sleep even though he was extremely young by mermaid standards.

“Come on buddy.” Lance encouraged as he gripped the side of the fabric Keith was laying on and pulled on it. The hammock tilted to one side, threatening to dump the mermaid from it if he didn't get up, but it wasn't forceful. Lance learned fast that being rough with Keith when he was sleepy stressed him out and made him more clingy than usual. Luckily Keith wasn't too stubborn, so he didn't need to be rough to get him up.

The mermaid reluctantly got out of the hammock when it tilted and uncoiled his tail. He gripped the wall with one hand and hovered there, not knowing where to go without some guide. He reached his other hand out for Lance to take like he usually did to lead him wherever he wanted him to go and waited.

Lance smiled and took Keith’s hand. He swam back to the platform with the mermaid slowly following behind him and pulled himself onto the metal again once they were there. He leaned down and snapped his fingers above the water in front of him where he wanted Keith to swim and held his palm out for him to target. Keith’s ear flicked in response to the sound and he moved forward until his forehead touched Lance’s palm. Lance clicked his tongue and pulled the mermaid to lay over his lap on his back so Pidge could look at him.

Keith was fine with being in Lance’s lap- Lance had been training him to be comfortable in his lap for things like this- and laid down and relaxed without complaint. That was until he realized Pidge was there as well, then he instinctively curled himself into Lance's stomach to protect his own. Mermaids didn't like having their bellies exposed to people they didn't trust, since in the wild they could easily be killed by a wound to the soft flesh.

Lance pet his hair calmingly and gently pushed him onto his back again. Keith chirped a little in protest but didn't struggle. After a week of being cared for by his handler he trusted him. The trust came easier when the mermaid was blind and helpless on his own, making him completely dependent on his handler.

Pidge gently pet Keith as well for a moment, letting him get used to her before she started prodding him. Even though she was there on his first day, she never touch him, so he probably didn't remember her. After a minute she let her hands trail down to the shark bite on his arm so she could look at it.

Keith’s reaction was immediate and expected: he growled warningly at her, but the sound was weak with fear. He tried to pull away and curl into Lance more, but Lance gently held him down. Keith whimpered and looked up at his handler’s face, looking slightly betrayed.

A soft laugh left Lance’s lips before he could stop it. “Keith you're okay.” He promised as he continued to pet the mermaid’s hair. Hopefully he wouldn't lash out, Lance didn't want to hold him down or sedate him. He would prefer to not do that to him. It would be scarier to be held down or sedated because he was blind, he would feel completely defenseless.

The mermaid frowned deeply and groaned uneasily but laid still. Pidge took that as a cue to continue looking at his arm. She was gentle and didn't press down on the wound, and let go of his arm within a few seconds. “That one isn't infected; it's almost shut.” She said.

Lance nodded. “That's good.”

Now it was time for the harder wound: the one on his side. He would be a lit more protective of that bite. A lot more actually; when Pidge touched that wound Keith snarled at her and bared his teeth. He didn't lunge for her though, he was more scared than angry and was afraid to provoke her.

All it took was a sharp shush from Lance to quiet him down. Keith’s eyebrows were still knitted firmly together, but he was quiet. If he started growling again Lance shushed him, and he would stop. The handler had to do it quite a few times before Pidge was done looking at the second bite, but it kept Keith calm and he didn't lash out. Which was good, he wouldn't have to be sedated next time.

Pidge pulled away and got up to get out of the enclosure. “He looks good, I'll go get him some breakfast as an apology.” She said with a smile as she left to get some fish.

Keith was still on guard when she left and incredibly tense. He thought she was still somewhere close by even though he heard her walk away. When Lance stopped holding him on his back he rolled onto his side and curled into Lance like he’d been trying to for the past few minutes.

Lance smiled at him and gently pet his hair, not straying beyond his head in case he set the mermaid off. Even though he knew it was just his handler his was still high strung and stressed from having a stranger’s hands on him. Keith accepted the affection and slowly relaxed.

Lance’s progress disappeared when Pidge came back and Keith tensed again at the sound of her footsteps. His handler held him close and pet him to keep him calm as Pidge sat down next to them with a pale of cod. She placed the food in between her legs and picked up one of the fish to offer to Keith.

Keith smelled the fish right away and looked up at it, but he hesitated to take it. After a second he carefully reached his neck out and bit the fish, then quickly pulled away and hid in Lance’s stomach again. Once he felt safe again he started eating the fish hungrily.

Pidge smiled at him and watched him fondly while he ate the first fish, then offered him a second when he finished it. Keith was less hesitant to take it and ate that one while curled up as well. Pidge slowly fed him all the fish, eventually earning Keith’s trust enough for him to stop hiding from her. He would trust anyone who fed him.

Lance watched with a fond smile, admiring the mermaid splayed over his lap. He loved cuddling Keith in his lap now that he let him, and seeing him relax even with Pidge there made him happy. He gently rubbed one of the mermaid’s ears, earning a happy chirp from him. Lance smiled wider. “Was that so bad?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own noting.


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